Joseph R. Winters: Inventor of the fire escape, other innovations

It's been a little more than 45 years since I did an article about Joseph R. Winters, who I've always considered to be a unique individual.

Winters was born in 1816 in Leesburg, Va. At the age of 14, he and his family moved to Chambersburg little knowing what would lie ahead.

The young Winters loved the outdoors and spent many a day fishing. In time he learned how to make artificial flies, which were admired by many anglers. Eventually he taught others how to make the colorful flies.

Winters learned the mechanical trade while working in the Cumberland Valley Railroad shops in Chambersburg. He went on to use these skills to design and build his own inventions.

Winters became active in the underground railroad and arranged a meeting between abolitionist John Brown and orator Frederick Douglass on Aug. 19-21, 1859, in Chambersburg at the abandoned stone quarry. Today, the area is near the South Gate mall development off West Washington Street.

Patenting his inventions

Winters was very tall and was referred to as “Indian Dick” because he was of Indian parentage. He had worked for a couple of my ancestors, including Henry Ruby, who was a printer at the time in Chambersburg, and Jerimiah Senseny, a gunmaker and gunsmith in town.

During Winter's lifetime, he owned three properties in and near Chambersburg, the last being in Wolfstown — now known as West Loudon Street near the Conococheague Creek.

In 1876, Winters invented and patented the improved fire escape and fire alarm. In 1877, Winters invented the scissor type aerial ladder truck with a canvas rescue bag; he demonstrated its operation on North Main Street in Chambersburg.

The ladder truck was patented in the U.S. and Europe in 1878 and was designed to serve as a fire escape and to support hoses for fire fighting. At this time, the business office for the new ladder truck was in New York City at the Coal and Iron Exchange Building.

In 1882 Winters invented the hose conductor, then he formed the Winters Fire Apparatus Co. The stock sold for $100 per share. It was reported that Winters held 200 shares of stock in his company; F. B. Reed was the president.

All of Winters patents were recognized by the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, and Canada.

Digging for coal, oil and gas

The next adventure for Winters came about in 1888 when he announced that he had organized a company for the purpose of boring for natural gas, oil and coal.

He had advertised that there would be a meeting of the stockholders at the Repository Building in Chambersburg to discuss his plans for the upcoming exploration. After some discussion, it was decided by the investors that the exploration would be done near Chambersburg.

In the event that deposits of natural gas, oil and coal weren't found, then perhaps the well could be retained to supply water for Chambersburg's reservoir, the investors reasoned.

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On Thursday evening, June 28, 1888, the stockholders of the Winters' Coal, Oil, Gas and Mineral Mining Co. held a special meeting to change the company's name, but after some discussion the present name was retained.

A little over a year later, in July 1889, Winters wanted to raise an additional $1,000 by selling shares of stock in the Winters Prospecting Co.'s well west of Chambersburg near what is today U.S. 30, also known as Lincoln Way West.

He wanted to raise the additional capital so he could continue working at the well and drilling deeper in hopes he would strike oil or natural gas. The shares of stock were selling at $10 per share. After all the time, work and capital raised, the explorations had proved unsuccessful.

Opening a gunsmith shop

Moving along with his life, Winters had rented a small building at Water and Loudon streets in Chambersburg in 1897 to open a gunsmith shop. After opening, a Chambersburg resident had dropped off a double-barrel shotgun for repairs, but one evening an intruder forced his way into the shop and stole the gun.

In time, the thief sold the shotgun to another Chambersburg resident. The gun was recognized by another individual who contacted the authorities, and the thief was arrested at Chambersburg's McKinley Hotel on North Main Street.

This wasn't the only time Winters was robbed. In June 1903, his shop had guns and other items stolen.

Winters had worked at various times during his life for the Cumberland Valley Railroad shops and he could be heard discussing his recollections about those days with the public.

Once again late in his life, Winters returned to work at the CVRR shops, making and stocking first aid kits for use on the equipment and in the shop buildings.

Joseph R. Winters died Nov. 29, 1916, and was laid to rest in the Lebanon Cemetery on Lincoln Way West, Chambersburg.

M.L. “Mike” Marotte III is an author and historian who writes about the history of Franklin County. Read more of him at www.vintagefranklincountypa.com.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Chambersburg man held numerous patents